1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems that support computer-based forms. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus that facilitates generating a query on-the-fly to search for matching forms in a repository containing previously submitted forms.
2. Related Art
Tasks are often organized into “work flows,” wherein a workflow comprises a series of steps required to accomplish a specific task, such as purchasing a car. Workflows often involve the circulation of forms via paper, email, or some other communication medium. In general, loosely coupled workflows (which are not managed by a forms management system) operate by: distributing forms; allowing people to fill out forms; and collecting completed forms. Once the completed forms have been collected, it is often necessary to search for specific form instances based on the data contained within the forms. Whether searching through printed or electronic forms, without a forms management system a substantial amount of effort is required to locate a specific form instance based on data contained within the form instance.
Furthermore, even if a forms management system is used, a great amount of effort and expense is typically required to set up and maintain the forms management system. Furthermore, in existing forms management systems, a system administrator typically has to configure the forms management system to search through specific fields of interest within the forms. Next, when the user wants to search for specific forms, the system imports data from relevant form instances, and searches for matching form instances based specific values in the fields of interest. (Note that a forms management system typically comprises software (often located on a server), which is designed to manage large numbers of forms and to facilitate various operations involving forms, such as storage, retrieval and searching.)
It is also possible to store data from fields of the completed forms in a database. In this way, matching forms can be identified by formulating appropriate database queries. However, a significant amount of effort and expense is involved in procuring, setting up and maintaining a database system. Hence, it is not always practical to store completed forms in a database system. Hence, what is needed is a method and an apparatus that facilitates searching for forms without the problems described above.